| ►NAR CALL to ACTION: PATENT TROLLS It is essential that your Member of Congress understands why REALTORS® are supporting H.R. 9 – The Innovation Act of 2015. H.R.9 will take vital steps to protect the real estate industry from frivolous lawsuits brought by patent trolls. Right now the trolls are pushing back on Congress by using the same threats and extortion tactics they use on Main Street businesses to try to prevent an up or down vote in the House. It is critical that you urge your Member of Congress to support this important legislation – don’t let the trolls win. Contact your Member of Congress to Stop Patent Trolls The National Association of REALTORS® is supporting H.R. 9 – The Innovation Act to close loopholes in our legal system that allows patent trolls to thrive. REALTORS® are targeted by patent trolls at alarming rates for simply using common business technologies like dropdown menus and search functions on websites or scan-to-email technologies found in every office scanner. Patent trolls exist solely to purchase old patents and to use the threat of expensive lawsuits to extort money from legitimate businesses. Congress must pass common-sense comprehensive patent litigation reform to protect Main Street businesses and REALTORS® from patent troll abuse.
►HUD FINAL RULE ON AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING The rule lays out requirements based on Section 808 (e)(5) of the Fair Housing Act which requires the Secretary of HUD to administer the Department’s housing and urban development programs in a manner to “affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH).” The rule defines affirmatively furthering fair housing”, and outlines a revised process for HUD review of state and local governments’ steps to comply with the rules. Please note that the requirements to ffirmatively further fair housing are not new, but have been in effect for decades. While nothing in the rule directly impacts REALTORS®, it is important that Associations familiarize themselves with the requirements relating to an Assessment of Fair Housing and participate in the assessment process. View NAR Background Paper ►WEEKLY UPDATE OF STATE LEGISLATION AB 1 (Brown) Water Conservation – was signed into law by the Governor last week. AB 345 (Frazier) Continuing Education – was signed into law by the Governor last week. AB 349 (Gonzalez) Water-Efficient Landscapes in CIDs – passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. AB 607 (Dodd) Bonds for Unlicensed Employees – passed off the Assembly Floor on a concurrence vote and has been enrolled to the Governor. AB 723 (Rendon) Rental Property: Plumbing Fixture Replacement – passed out of the AB 1164 (Gatto) Water-Efficient Landscapes – passed out of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee last week. AB 1303 (Gray) Subdivisions Map Expiration Date – passed out of the Senate SB 146 (Galgiani) Team Names – was signed into law by the Governor last week. SB 335 (Roth) Earthquake Insurance – was signed into law by the Governor last week. SB 419 (McGuire) Mobile Home Park Sales – passed out of the Assembly Housing and SB 602 (Monning) Seismic safety: California Earthquake Authority (CEA) – passed out of the Assembly Local Government Committee last week. For more details on all of the above legislation, please see the description of C.A.R.-sponsored bills and C.A.R.’s Legislative Program . |
530-583-0275
sue@tahoemls.com
